# Work safe rap suggestions, please. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972 "2008-02-09T23:35:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/21 "2008-02-11T04:25:49Z")
[QUOTE=DKW] I kinda liked Run DMC way back then, but they were never really that popular and it might be hard to find something good. You might want a recommendation. Salt 'n Pepa was wildly popular when I was a preteen, but I don’t think their sassy, hip tone is what they’re going for. (Plus they’re really hard to understand.) [/QUOTE] What bizzaro universe were you raised in, that Run DMC weren’t very popular, but Salt 'n Pepa was “wildly popular”? ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/22 "2008-02-11T04:51:24Z")
[QUOTE=Klif] Check out some Jurassic Five. Amazing flow, and good music, too! [/QUOTE] Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/23 "2008-02-11T11:59:21Z")
You might try some of De La Soul’s songs, quite a few from their Three Feet High and Rising album are pretty tame. Also from what I’ve heard of [Jamil Mustafa’s](http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=75285441&MyToken=263d7164-1b43-495b-a819-cc9f2d42c14a) works, he’s non-violent and non-hating. The song on his profile is very solid, IMO. He’s on Itunes. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/24 "2008-02-11T12:10:07Z")
If you want to please the (much, much) older crowd, [you can’t go wrong with Chaucer](http://www.babasword.com/writing/rapcantales.html) > [@](#): > > And up they stirte, al dronken in this rage, > And forth they goon towardes that village > Of which the taverner hadde spoke biforn. > And many a grisly ooth thanne han they sworn, > And cristes blessed body al torente – > Deeth shal be deed, if that they may hym hente! [becomes](http://www.babasword.com/writing/poetry/pardcontrast.html) > [@](#): > > …When he’d said his piece > The rest agreed, and the three friends hit the streets > And went to seek their destiny and provoke a confrontation, > In a drunken rage hoping Death would come and face them. > Their intoxication made them sure of their purpose > And fed the infernal furnace of their courage, > A kernel nourished by these three murderous wretches in denial. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/25 "2008-02-11T15:22:06Z")
If you are looking for some more contemporary artists (as in stuff they didn’t play at the High School Class of '91 prom), I would look at the following artists: Kanye West Wyclef Jean Lupe Fiasco Fugees Gym Class Heros Sean Kingston For some older stuff, people already mentioned De La Soul, Arrested Development, Jurasic Five. I would throw in some Slick Rick, Nice & Smooth, A Tribe Called Quest and PM Dawn. Most of this stuff is pretty unoffensive (compared to say, Ice Cube or Eminem), but you still want to review each song for language and content. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/26 "2008-02-11T15:41:26Z")
I agree with mssmith - those are good choices that the kids will probably like. The Walmart version of albums are cleaned up (I’ve heard). ---
**Author:** ![Viridiana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Viridiana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viridiana)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/27 "2008-02-12T18:58:35Z")
How about Skee-lo (of “wish I was a little bit taller” fame)? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/28 "2008-02-12T20:17:38Z")
I’ve always liked “No Diggity” by Black Street Productions, and “California Love” by Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/29 "2008-02-12T20:47:36Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] I’ve always liked “No Diggity” by Black Street Productions, and “California Love” by Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre. [/QUOTE] Off the top of my head, “bitches” is in that song. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/30 "2008-02-12T21:28:51Z")
Lots of good suggestions here; I’d also add: Blue Scholars Busdriver Del the funky homosapien/Deltron 3030 Dreamwarriors(early 90’s) Gnarls Barkley Haiku D’etat K-OS Mr. Lif Nujabes Ozomatli Saul Williams Ugly Ducklings ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/31 "2008-02-13T03:52:21Z")
Thanks, here’s what I’ve bought so far: Mr. Wendal/ Arrested Development Fight for Your Right/ Beastie Boys Weapon of Choice/ Fatboy Slim the breakthrough/ jamil mustafa the drum/ jamil mustafa Work It Out/ Jurassic 5 Here Comes the Hammer/ MC Hammer Too Legit to Quit/ MC Hammer U Can’t Touch This/ MC Hammer Walk This Way/ Run-DMC You Talk Too Much/ Run-DMC Miami/ Will Smith Switch/ Will Smith Bust a Move/ Young M.C. Fastest Rhyme/ Young M.C. ---
**Author:** ![Klif](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Klif](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klif)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/32 "2008-02-14T03:35:52Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] Thanks, here’s what I’ve bought so far: Mr. Wendal/ Arrested Development Fight for Your Right/ Beastie Boys Weapon of Choice/ Fatboy Slim the breakthrough/ jamil mustafa the drum/ jamil mustafa Work It Out/ Jurassic 5 Here Comes the Hammer/ MC Hammer Too Legit to Quit/ MC Hammer U Can’t Touch This/ MC Hammer Walk This Way/ Run-DMC You Talk Too Much/ Run-DMC Miami/ Will Smith Switch/ Will Smith Bust a Move/ Young M.C. Fastest Rhyme/ Young M.C. [/QUOTE] With a little rearranging, that’s a MIGHTY fine CD Listing! ---
**Author:** ![Klif](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Klif](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klif)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972/33 "2008-02-14T04:01:05Z")
…wait, Weapon of Choise? srsly? Also, I’d like to second US3’s “Cantaloop (flip fantasia)”. And to anyone who doesn’t know that it samples (heavily!) another song, you should all be fans of Herbie Hancock (specifically in this case “Cantalope Man”) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/work-safe-rap-suggestions-please/436972.md?page=1)